[CPEO-MEF] PFAS: August 17 Wurtsmith (AFB, MI) Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting

[Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>]

RAB and Air Force reps talk current projects, future plans at Wurtsmith
Air Force questioned on transparency; utilizing less stringent PFAS standards

by Jenny Haglund
Oscoda Press (MI)
August 25 and August 30, 2022 
 
	
OSCODA – The following is the first of a two-part story regarding current projects, as well as future plans, associated with the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB) in Oscoda. Updates were given at the Aug. 17 Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) meeting, held at Oscoda United Methodist Church, and the remaining items will be summarized in next week’s publication.

Resembling a classic case of taking the good with the bad, several attendees shared their continuing concerns over what they deem as a lack of transparency on the Air Force’s (AF) part. (As will be reported next week, this included their desire for more timely data sharing and improved collaboration with residents and other stakeholders). Contrarily, there were also topics that were perceived as positives by many of those in the audience.

For example, Ben Wiese of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service mentioned the treatment system that’s been installed by the AF as an interim remedial action (IRA), to help reduce the contamination entering Clark’s Marsh.

As previously noted, the marsh lies just outside of the WAFB boundary and has long been a site of concern for community members and others. This is due to the wetland area containing particularly high levels of PFAS, as a result of the aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) which was used at the former fire training area (FT-02) while the base was still active.

…

For the entire two-part article, see
https://www.iosconews.com/oscoda_press/news/article_5db3559e-222b-11ed-847b-4f5e5ddcc133.html
And
https://www.iosconews.com/oscoda_press/news/article_5db3559e-222b-11ed-847b-4f5e5ddcc133.html
—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)

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